Sony DSC-P73 Review

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P73


Review posted 6/24/2004


Click to take 360-degree QTVR tour of the Sony CyberShot DSC-P73
Click on the P73 for a 360° QTVR tour


It's definitely 2004 when you can buy a 4-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom lens that takes great pictures for just $300. Sony's new Cyber-shot DSC-P73 is no stripped-down "entry-level" camera, it sports features like a 5-point auto focus system, manual exposure control, multi-pattern metering, scene modes, histogram display and a fast image processor that allows it to capture up to 4 Fine mode images per burst.

The compact and stylish DSC-P73 lets you compose your shots with the optical viewfinder or use the high-resolution 1.5-inch color LCD monitor. In addition to 4-megapixel still images the DSC-P73 captures full motion video in VGA resolution at 30fps with sound (requires Memory Stick Pro media.) Want more wide angle or telephoto coverage?   Sony has a wide angle and two telephoto conversion lenses made especially for the DSC-P73 (and the 5-megapixel DSC-P93) as well as a host of 30mm filters.

The DSC-P73 is powered by a pair of standard AA type batteries, Sony includes a set of 2100 mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries that can capture up to 410 pictures. Also included is a NiMH charger that handles a pair of AA or AAA size cells. Downloading images and movies to your computer is simple and fast thanks to its high-speed USB 2.0 interface. And you can use the same USB cable to print directly to the Sony DPP-EX50 Picture Station or any of today's PictBridge-enabled photo printers, no computer is necessary.



DSC-P73 Major Features:

  • Sony 4.1 Megapixel effective CCD image sensor
  • Sony 3x Zoom (38-114mm equivalent in 35mm photography)
  • Still Image: 2304x1728, 2304(3:2), 2048x1536, 1280x960, 640x480
  • MPEG Movie: 640x480 VX Fine w/audio at 30fps (Memory Stick Pro required),
    640x480 VX at 16fps, length limited only by media
  • Auto, Program AE, Manual plus Scene modes
  • Live histogram display in capture and playback
  • 5 Area Multi-point AF; auto or selectable Spot AF point
  • 1.5" TFT color (67,000 pixels) LCD Screen with Auto Brightness
  • ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400
  • Adjustable color saturation, contrast and sharpness
  • Noise Reduction: Automatically cleans up long exposure images
  • 14bit A/D Conversion - allows a wider dynamic range from highlight to shadow
  • Built-in flash with Auto Fill, Red Eye Reduction and Slow Synchro
  • USB 2.0 Auto-Connect to host computer
  • Audio-Video output for display on TV sets
  • Powered by two AA batteries, NiMH and charger included
  • Memory Stick & Memory Stick Pro compatible to 1GB, 16MB included
  • DPOF and PictBridge direct-print USB compatible







Physical Views



Sony DSC-P73

Sony DSC-P73

Sony DSC-P73

Sony DSC-P73

Sony DSC-P73

Sony DSC-P73



Sony DSC-P73

The DSC-P73 and a CD for size comparison.




Sony DSC-P73

The 5-megapixel DSC-P93 and the 4-megapixel DSC-P73.





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Sony DSC-P73 Specifications

Image Device: 1/2.7" 4.1 Megapixel Effective Sony Super HAD™ CCD
Still Image Sizes: 4M   2304x1728
3:2  2304x1536
3M   2048x1536
1M   1280x960
VGA  640x480
Recording Media: Memory Stick Media (16MB included) or Memory Stick PRO Media up to 1GB.
Zoom: Sony 3X Optical, 6 - 18mm (39-117mm equivalent), 5 elements in 7 groups with 2 aspheric elements
Smart Zoom™ Feature: 0 - 3.6X (at VGA Resolution), 10.8X Total
Digital Zoom: Precision, 0 - 2.0X Range, 6X Total
Filter Diameter: 30mm (requires VAD-PEB lens adapter)
Auto Focus: 5 Area Multi-Point AF, Center AF, 5-Step Manual
Minimum Focus Distance: 19.7" (50cm)
Macro Focus Distance: 3.9" (10cm)
Shutter Speed: 1/8 - 1/1000 sec. (auto/program)
2 - 1/1000 sec. (twilight)
30 - 1/1000 sec. (manual, 46 steps)
Aperture Range: F2.8 - F5.6 (W), F5.2 - F10 (T)
Exposure Compensation: +/- 2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
Color LCD: 1.5" 67K pixel color TFT LCD Screen
Flash Modes: Auto/Forced On/Forced Off/Slow Synchro Red-Eye Reduction: On/Off
Flash Effective Range: 1.6 - 12.5 ft. (0.5 - 3.8m)
White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash
Burst Mode: 4 Shot (4M JPEG fine), 7 Shot (3M JPEG std.), 1.6fps
Picture Effects: Sepia, Black & White
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400
Scene Modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle, Beach
Self-Timer: 10 Seconds
Video Output: NTSC/PAL Selectable
Still Image Modes: Normal (JPEG Fine/Standard), Burst, Multi-Burst
MPEG Movie Mode: MPEG VX Fine with Audio (640 x 480 at 30fps),
(MPEG VX Fine requires Memory Stick PRO media)
MPEG VX Standard with Audio (640 x 480 at 16fps),
Video Mail (160 x 112 at 8fps) with Audio
Microphone/Speaker: Yes/Yes
USB Terminal: Supports USB 2.0
Cradle Compatible: No
Memory Stick PRO™
Media Compatibility:		 Tested to support up to 1GB media capacity; does not support Access Control security function
Compatible Battery: AA type; alkaline, NiMH, lithium
Sony 2100 mAh NiMH and BC-CS2 charger are included
Supplied Software: Picture Package™ for Sony ver 1.0 (Windows), Pixela ImageMixer VCD2 (Mac), SPVD-012.1 USB Driver, Cyber-shot Life tutorial (Windows)
OS Compatibility: Microsoft® Windows® 98/98SE/Me/ 2000/XP Home/XP Pro
Macintosh® OS 9.1/9.2/X (10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3)
Supplied Accessories: 2100mAh AA NiMH batteries, BC-CS2 charger, A/V and USB Cables, Wrist Strap, 16MB
Memory Stick Media, Software CD-ROM
Dimensions: 4 5/8" x 2 1/8" x 1 3/8" (117 x 54 x 36 mm)
Weight: 6.4 oz (175 g), 8.6 oz (236 g) with batteries and memory card
NOTE: Specifications as represented by the manufacturer.




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